Editorial

Don't let glory get you heady

Dear Ralph,
For the umpteenth time in as many years, we sent up a silent prayer last week, asking that if we ever came back in another lifetime that we land in the Hon. Ken Kowalski’s riding.
We’d just heard that the health complex in Westlock was getting a new addition – the entire multi-tier seniors’ health care and housing complex that has been growing slowly but surely in that wonderful little retirement community to the south.
Westlock, you’ll remember, was one of very few communities whose health care complex was allowed to proceed when funding for dozens of others was frozen in the early 1990s.
Slave Lake was on the cusp of replacing its facility that had been all but condemned in 1988 with our infamous flood. But officials in Westlock had a stick in the ground and their Slave Lake counterparts didn’t. Period.
Since that time the people in Westlock have worked hard to acquire one of the best small-town health complexes going. (Second only, we’d hazard a guess, to the facilities that are blossoming in Rocky Mountain House – home of Infrastructure Minister Ty Lund.)
But we’re not complaining.
Much. (Although the word ‘bitter’ has been flying around the office and that seems to fit. But we digress.)
We can’t help but notice, however, that the services in Westlock –the essential ‘hub’ of the Aspen health region – are growing too.
Most notably, they have a dialysis unit – even though they’re less than an hour from the many specialized dialysis facilities in Edmonton.
Thanks to the concerted efforts of our health authority members and former members, and a few vocal people in our community (God bless ‘em), we hear we’re about to see a dialysis unit materialize in our community. And not a moment too soon.
We’ve been waiting, sending dialysis and transplant patients south long enough – as have our neighbours in Wabasca-Desmarais.
For as many millions of barrels of oil that pass through our communities on their way to Edmonton (to say nothing of the tax dollars that flow out just as quickly), it’s our turn.
And while we have your ear: Be careful what you wish for – you might get it.
Last week you proudly announced that you’d slain the deficit dragon – that Alberta was debt free – or could be if it really wanted to.
And while we all know that might have been a bit of a stretch, we’ll bet that the majority of messages, cards and emails that you received in ensuing days were not letters of praise and congratulations.
In fact, we’d almost bet the farm that you received as many requests for all those excess dollars that you’re going to have floating around as you did flowery accolades.
And we’d also bet those letters and requests won’t hold a candle to the list of people who’ll flood into our debt-free province in coming months to stand in line with other Albertans, good ideas on how to best use that windfall in hand.
Congratulations on the accomplishment – but please don’t ever forget just how that miracle was accomplished. And please don’t hand us that ‘good planning’ line. It’s not even close.
Regards and best wishes in what’s assuredly going to be the upcoming fall election,
Etc., etc., etc.